Developing Community
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As a triple bottom line company, CSR Developments is committed to deliver on a social goods agenda that will address the major issues of concern affected by its operations. These are expected to include priority areas such as fisheries, agriculture, water safety and conservation, electricity and education. The company will act as a catalyst in addressing these topics in partnership with government, NGOs and others.
One area of special concern is fisheries. This industry is the most important economic activity on the lake, with species from tilapia to catfish being harvested by an estimated 80,000 fishermen.
Unfortunately, their livelihoods are already under great pressure. Fish stocks on the lake have been declining for many years because of over-fishing, poor and illegal fishing methods, and the migration of fishermen from the coast to the lake.
In the face of this situation, CSR Developments recognizes that its operations rely on vibrant local communities, many of which are based on fishing.
Consequently, the company is committed not only to mitigate potential impacts from the project on fisheries, but also to identify opportunities for sustainable fisheries management on the lake. This would include co-management partnerships and sustainable livelihoods initiatives.
The company has already held initial discussions with the Ministry of Fisheries, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Fisheries Trust and the University of Ghana, as well as with many communities around the lake. As a new, long-term partner on the lake, CSR Developments looks to learn from these stakeholders and others on how best it can support improved management of fisheries for the communities that depend on them.
Proposed Development Corporation
The company management team has experience working on more than fifty resource-related community development projects in over thirty countries. This has led it to conclude that development corporations are a particularly good structure for implementing collaborative, community-led activities between the business, NGO and government sectors.
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CSR Developments manager Michael Brouse (left) meets with the Chief of
Anyaase, Nana Kwakye Saw II (center) and other Elders of the community
to discuss the mill site. |
CSR Developments will work with local and international stakeholders to catalyze local development and help leverage government, NGO, donor and private sector activities in the region.
A locally owned development corporation may be a means to assist inhabitants to build wealth and participate more productively in the local economy. Through such a structure, they might be better able to take advantage of investment and business opportunities that create social, environmental and economic value.
Focus areas may include timber plantations, fisheries management, hatcheries and processing, agriculture, transportation and real estate. CSR Developments intends to work with communities and Ghanaian specialists to evaluate the opportunity for creating a development corporation.
Training
The tree harvesting and processing operations, with their associated development in the region, will require a well-qualified workforce. In order to meet these needs, CSR Developments will invest significantly in Ghanaian workforce training in partnership with local and international institutions.
More specifically, the company intends to support the creation of certified training programmes for local residents. The skills acquired would be useful for a wide range of jobs beyond the needs of the company.
CSR Developments has already contracted with the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences (SIAST), which is working with the Wa Polytechnic on a multi-year institutional strengthening programme. It will assess local training capacity that could be used to deliver the training programmes the company will need, as a first step towards building regional training capacity.
View & download PDFs of the project:
Community Development: Ghana-com
Print resolution: Ghana-com150
NB: For best results, download first, then print. Files are A4 format, for North America, set printer to fit letter size.
